


It's Been Awhile

by maia_m03



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Boys In Love, First Kiss, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, How Do I Tag, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Season/Series 06, Pre-Season/Series 07, Swordfighting, red/blue dynamic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 07:25:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15791799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maia_m03/pseuds/maia_m03
Summary: Lance watched a moment as Keith headed up a nearby hill. Keith turned back and gestured at Lance to hurry up, then folded his arms across his chest and started tapping his foot in annoyance. Lance ran to catch up and continued to follow a step behind Keith.





	It's Been Awhile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kel_Sticks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kel_Sticks/gifts), [FANtasise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FANtasise/gifts).



Lance sighed as he leaned against Red, listening to Pidge and Hunk grumbling about the Castle of Lions.

"I can't believe it's actually gone, ya'know," Pidge complained.

"Bye-bye nice kitchen," Hunk flopped back onto the ground.

They were currently on some planet, picking up more supplies for their long trip back to Earth. The only set of plans to build a new Castle of Lions were with Pidge's father, back on Earth. The Castle was destroyed about 3 quintents ago. It was the only way to seal the rips in time and space, that Lotor created by jumping in and out of the Quintessence Field.

Lance's gaze wandered around the area they landed in. Allura and Romelle had gone to collect the supplies while Coran and Krolia had disappeared to scout the perimeter.   
His eyes landed on a familiar heap of black mullet leaving his lion.

Oh what the hell. I got nothin' else to do, Lance thought.

"No, stay," Lance heard Keith tell the Cosmic Wolf. The black and blue ball of energy pranced around Keith a couple times before turning on the spot and laying down like a cat would. Keith smiled and wandered off.

Lance jogged after Keith and fell into step beside him.

"Ya'know, it's weird seeing you back in the paladin armour," Lance said after a moment.

The only response he got from Keith was a small hum.

After another minute or two of silence between them, Lance spoke up again, "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular," Keith replied, and after a few moments added, "I just needed space to think."

"Oh," Lance stopped walking, "I'll leave you be, then."

Lance turned to head back to Red when Keith called out again, "Lance, wait."

"Hmm?" he turned back to face Keith again.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you when I first got back."

Lance's expression softened, "Hey, it's okay. We were all in a hurry and trying to figure everything out."

Keith nodded and looked away, he seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Follow me."

Lance watched a moment as Keith headed up a nearby hill. Keith turned back and gestured at Lance to hurry up, then folded his arms across his chest and started tapping his foot in annoyance. Lance ran to catch up and continued to follow a step behind Keith.

A few minutes of walking in silence lead them to a small glade by the edge of a forest. The entire walk was silent between them which left Lance a large amount of time to his thoughts.  
Of course, his mind drifted to the one place it always manages to go to when he's given spare time. It goes to a shield generator. To the blue lion. To a bright flash and unbearable pain. His mind always manages to drag him back to the red lion's cockpit and to darkness. Then to a glowing and Allura crouched beside him. Always to his own death.

Keith stopped walking but Lance didn’t notice, too caught up in his memories. He crashed straight into Keith and would have hit the ground if not for Keith's arm latching itself around his waist to keep him somewhat upright.  
Lance stepped back from him and smiled sheepishly as Keith dropped his arm from Lance.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked

"Yes, of course. I'm fine," Lance replied too quickly for it to be true.

Keith studied him for a moment, "Stop lying. You're not fine," he remembered how Lance had been acting lately, how when he'd asked Allura about it, she'd smiled sadly at him and told him that he's fine. But Keith could tell from the tone of her voice, she was trying to convince herself of that just as much as she was Keith, "You haven't been for a while now. When I first got back, I noticed it. There was something different about you. It was as if you were putting on an act to convince everyone- and maybe yourself as well- that you were fine. That you were happy. I know you too well, Lance. You didn’t say a word the entire walk up here. No complaining, no chatter, nothing. What happened to you that could have such a drastic effect?"

Lance stared at him wide eyed. He hadn't known that Keith could pick up those thing. Hadn't realised that he took notice.   
Maybe the only one that did, Lance thought.

He made a little noise, as if to say that he didn’t know if he should actually tell him.

"Lance. Please talk to me. I want to know what happened to you."

Lance sighed and looked down, "I know, I know. Okay. We were on this mission and we needed to fix the plates of this shield generator before the next radiation wave passed. Allura and I got them sealed and we thought that they would hold. They didn't. Something went wrong and a pulse shot out of the one closest to us. Allura would've been hit but I knocked Blue out the way and got hit by it instead. It hurt so bad that I almost passed out. Then I wasn’t aware of anything. There was just nothing. Then I opened my eyes and I was freezing, but Allura was kneeling beside me in Red, and she was glowing," Lance finally looked up at Keith and saw the shocked expression on his face.  
"You wanted to know what happened that could affect me so much? I died, Keith. I was dead," he whispered.

They stood in silence for a moment, Keith just staring at Lance, and Lance looking mildly uncomfortable. Keith could tell that Lance was trying to hide how anxious and scared he is, and had to applaud him for the fact that he only looked uncomfortable.

Keith quickly stepped forwards and hugged him.

Lance stood stock-still in shock. Keith had never hugged him before. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around Keith in return and smiled slightly into his hair.  
They stayed like that for a minute before Lance drew back and sniffled. He hadn't realised that he'd been crying. Quickly wiping the tears away, he coughed awkwardly, "So, why'd you bring me out here anyway?" 

When Lance didn’t get a reply he started to worry.  
"Keith? Buddy, you alright?" he asked, stepping up beside Keith and laying a hand on his shoulder.

Keith snapped out of his downward spiralling thoughts and worry at the contact, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just…" he trailed off and looked at Lance like he was trying to memorise every feature of the other boy's face. Again.

"You're worried about me?" Lance finished for him with a small smile and Keith nodded. Lance moved his hand up and tucked a few strands of Keith's hair behind his ear and out of his eyes before dropping it back to his side, "That's sweet, Mullet. But like I said, I'm fine. I'll get over it eventually."

Keith stared at him dumbfounded, "You're joking, right? You died, Lance! There's no way someone can just "get over" something like that."

Lance glanced away again before speaking, "Can we just drop it? I don’t really want to talk about it," he looked to Keith again and repeated his question, "Why did you bring me out here? It couldn't have just been to ask me about that."

Lance was right, Keith knew that. He'd asked Lance about what was going on with him not just because he genuinely wanted to know, of course he did, but also so he could avoid saying what he needed to. Gave himself time to think of how he would word it, which turned out to be useless as when Lance had told him the truth, every other thought left Keith as his sole focus was on Lance.

He took a moment to think, and as he did the words he'd been thinking about for the better part of two years, finally clicked into place in his mind.

"Yeah, you're right. I wanted to tell you something," he started.

Lance nodded and gave him his full attention. Keith wouldn't admit it aloud, but he loved it when Lance was focused on nothing Keith. It didn’t happen very often, especially lately what with joining the Blade.

He took a deep breath to steel his nerves then started speaking, "I spent two years alone in that Quantum Abyss and I leaned everything I ever wanted to know about my family, all of my questions were answered. But that time alone also gave me time to think."

"Ok," Lance said to reinforce the fact that he was paying one hundred percent attention, "so what'd you come up with?" 

To say the least, Lance was positively thrilled that Keith was opening up to him and wondered if that was how Keith had felt a few minutes ago when he had opened up to Keith.

"A lot, actually. But I brought you out here because there are two pretty important things that I "came up with" that I need to tell you."

"Me?" Lance chuckled nervously, smiling goofily at the sheer idea of it, "ok, shoot."

"Well, the first thing," he stopped to suck in a nervous breath before continuing, "the first thing is I'm gay," he finished quieter.

Lance remained silent and Keith pointedly looked away from Lance as he continued.

"And the second is that…well…I'm- I'm in love with you."

Lance's jaw dropped open as Keith's words swirled around in his head.

"I just wanted you to know," Keith mumbled.

Why do I have to be so awkward?! Keith thought and made to walk away before Lance caught his wrist.

"Dude, you can't just drop a bomb like that and leave without letting me say anything."

Keith opened his mouth to respond when a purple blast flashed past his head. The boys whipped around to find three Galra soldiers emerging from the forest and quickly approaching them.

"Oh perfect," Keith muttered under his breath. He pulled his blade from its sheath as he sprinted forwards, towards one of the soldiers.

His knife clashed with the Galra's sword, and out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw a blue bolt hit the farthest soldier square in the chest, effectively taking him out. Keith pulled his knife back, spun around the Galra and tried to land a hit from another angle, but was blocked again.  
Keith glanced at Lance just in time to see him hit the ground. The third soldier had dodged all of Lance's shots and gotten close enough to launch himself at Lance and send them both crashing to the ground. The soldier had his sword raised, trying to cut Lance on the way down, but was blocked with what Keith assumed was Lance's riffle. 

He turned his attention back to his opponent. He only saw one move he could make at that moment. Keith dropped his blade, ducked and caught it in his other hand, and swung it up into the Galra's chest. He stumbled back and collapsed as Keith pulled the blade out.

Keith turned back to Lance to go to help him, but froze in shock.

A quick pulse of light and Lance twisted his newly transformed Bayard, dislodging the Galra's sword and flinging it a few feet away. Lance brought his Altean Broad-Sword back around and shoved it through the soldier's abdomen so far that a large portion of the blade was poking out the other side. He deactivated his Bayard as he shoved the Galra's body off of him. Glancing up, Lance noticed Keith just staring at him.  
"What? Do I have blood on my face?" he scrubbed his cheek as he stood, then inspected his hand to see if there was actually blood on his face.

"…Since when do you have a sword?"

Lance shrugged, "Dunno. A month or two, I guess. Why?"

Keith opened his mouth to respond when a twig snapped and the paladins jumped around to see five more Galra soldiers approaching.

"They're like cockroaches. Always more of them no matter how many you get rid of," Lance complained

"Don't move! Drop the blade!" One of the soldiers demanded with his blaster aimed at the pair.

Keith raised his hands while tightening his grip on the hilt of his knife. Glancing back at Lance, he made a split-second decision. He turned his attention back to the Galra in front of him. Taking a deep breath, Keith let go of the blade, then turned and tripped Lance, shoving him back and out of the way of attack. He dropped to the ground and rolled, catching the blade before it hit the ground. He skidded under the nearest soldier and popped up behind him. The blade glowed purple for a moment as the metal extended into a sword as Keith swung it forward, stabbing through the enemy's gut. 

Lance just sat there, after he had hit the ground, and watched in a daze as Keith took out two more of the Galra soldiers. He was mesmerized by the grace and precision of Keith's movements as he watched him fight. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance spotted movement. Turning his head to get a better look, he realised that the fifth soldier had snuck around the back of them while Keith was busy with the others. 

The Galra that Keith was currently fighting would almost considered an equal to Keith in strength and skill, Lance noted.   
He's not gonna see it! Lance's mind started screaming at him.

He jumped to his feet and activated his Bayard. Intuitively, it had manifested as Lance's sword, just the weapon he needed right now. He took off in a sprint towards Keith. He stopped right behind Keith and raised his sword just in time to block the Galra's attack.

Hearing a clang behind him, Keith glanced back to see Lance directly behind him, blocking the last Galra's sword from hitting him, "Lance?!"

Lance grunted from the effort it took to keep the Galra at bay, under the force that the soldier was pushing down on him.

"Swap!" Lance yelled back to Keith.

"What?! Lance are y-"

"Shut up and trust me!"

Keith's mind momentarily flashed back to the first time he'd yelled that at Lance, on the cliff edge back on Earth.  
'Not now!' 

Lance took Keith's silence as a reluctant agreement, "…Now!"

Keith drew his blade back and spun one way, as Lance turned the other.   
As Lance turned, his Bayard emitted a blue glow as it transformed. As soon as he had turned, he raised his Bayard and immediately pulled the trigger, blasting the soldier point-blank in the head.

Keith flipped his sword as he turned and sliced a deep cut into the Galra's midriff. As his blade connected with the Galra's skin, he heard a distinct blaster shot behind him.

As cliché as it is, both of the paladin's opponents simultaneously collapsed and hit the ground.

Keith let out a long breath as his sword lightly glowed purple and shrunk back to his knife as Lance deactivated his Bayard and turned to face him.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked in amazement.

"Do what?" Keith's brows furrowed in confusion. He'd done a lot of things just then and didn’t know to which Lance was referring.

"Ya'know. When you dropped the knife and caught it before it hit the ground."

"Oh. That," Keith looked at Lance then glanced away, unsure of how to word it, "When Krolia and I were in that Abyss, there was a Dark Star in the centre of it that erupted this light every so often. The eruptions showed us glimpses through time. I saw her do that when she was protecting Blue from the Galra that had traced her back to Earth."

Lance was completely shocked. He hadn't expected that. All he'd thought that Keith would say was that he got bored and came up with a few new tricks in the two years that they'd been stuck there.

"Anyway," Keith looked back to Lance and took a step closer, "you said I couldn't just walk away after what I told you without letting you say something. So, what were you going to say?"

Lance felt heat rush to his face as he remembered the reason why the two of them were alone in a clearing to begin with. Keith had confessed to him. His crush had confessed that he was in love with him. The guy that he'd been in love with since the Galaxy Garrison actually returned his feelings.

The blush on his cheeks intensified as he looked down, "I-I was going to say that…that…oh screw it," he locked eyes with Keith, "I'm in love with you too. Have been for years."

A smile spread across Keith's face as he remembered something.

"Ya'know, the glimpses through time also showed us events from the future as well as the past, that’s how I knew something was up with Shiro," Keith took another step closer to Lance as Lance just watched him, "One of the last ones I saw was of me doing this."

Lance chuckled nervously, "You doing wha -mhff!"

Keith had caught Lance's wrist in one hand and tugged him forward, tightly wrapping his other arm around his waist as their lips met roughly. Lance gasped and kissed back just as hard while wrapping his arms around Keith's neck. Keith forced his tongue into Lance's open mouth and Lance made a small noise as he melted against Keith.

When Keith drew back, Lance hummed in contentment, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he mumbled.

Keith laughed affectionately at that, then his face settled into a small, and slightly nervous smile, "Lance?"

"Hmm?" Lance hadn't taken his eyes off of Keith.

Keith ran his fingers gently down Lance's cheek and cupped the side of his face. He noticed Lance shiver slightly at the action.  
"When we get back to Earth, do you want to go to a festival with me?"

A giant, goofy smile spread across Lance's face, "Yes! Of course!" His arms were still locked around Keith's neck, so Lance used that to pull Keith back to him and kissed him again. He trailed one hand down the right side of Keith's face and let his fingers settle over the purple Galra marking there.

As the two broke away, Keith noticed unfamiliar voices echoing through the forest, getting closer. His hand gripped Lance's and squeezed it to get his attention, "C'mon, we gotta go."  
Lance nodded and the two paladins sprinted back the way they had come, back to the lions.

\---

"Hey! Where have you guys been? The others have been back for ages," Hunk said as the red and black paladins came skidding down the hill.

"No time!" Lance shouted as they ran past.

"The Galra are here!" Keith finished.

"What are you talking about? We didn’t see anyone," Krolia said. Just as she finished, a purple bolt flew over Pidge's head. They squealed and ducked down.

The Cosmic Wolf leapt up and ran over to Pidge. It stood in front of them in a protective manner and growled in the direction that the blast came from.

"Everyone to your lions!" Allura ordered.

Everyone scrambled to their lions and prepared to leave. Krolia and Shiro herded the Cosmic Wolf into the Black Lion to wait for Keith.

As Lance reached Red, he stopped and caught Keith's arm as he ran past.

"Lance, what are you-?" Lance cut him off by pressing his lips against Keith's quickly. 

"For luck," Lance said as he squeezed Keith's arm before pushing him back in the direction of his lion, "go."

Keith smiled and nodded, then ran over to the Black Lion.

Lance turned and bolted up the ramp into Red. When he reached the top of the ramp, he saw Kaltenecker beside the entrance.  
"You saw that, didn’t you?"

"Mooooo."

"…Don’t tell anyone."


End file.
